PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Royce Gracie (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Ronaldo Souza (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Gracie
vs
Souza

185 cm
22
185 lbs
2 - 0 - 0

184 cm
20
185 lbs
0 - 5 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Determined

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Royce Gracie!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Ronaldo Souza!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Daniel Franklin and Wesley Smith.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Gracie swats away the attempt to clinch by Souza.
Wow, both these guys are really going for it!
Souza fails in his attempt to clinch.
Souza moves in looking to clinch but Gracie pushes him off.

Gracie scores with a takedown into Souza's guard.
Gracie won't allow Souza to sweep him here.
Gracie tries to free his leg and advance position but Souza is retaining full guard.

Gracie drops back for a leg! It's a sloppy attempt though and Gracie jumps back into guard quickly, to retain the dominant position.
Souza working a defensive guard here.
Gracie preventing the sweep.

Gracie thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Souza trying to keep a closed guard but Gracie is proving a slippery customer.
Gracie has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Souza tries to close the distance and clinch but Gracie swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Souza tries to clinch up but Gracie circles away and keeps his distance.
Gracie throws a nice looking combination but Souza bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.

Gracie decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!
Souza is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza trying to hold on to Gracie's head to control him but Gracie postures up.
Souza manages to get to full guard.
Souza is trying to control the position but Gracie postures up.
Souza is in a good position here but he's just trying to control... And he's not even managing to do that successfully.
Gracie wanted to stand there but Souza had control of the position.
Souza trying to control the position.
Gracie has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Souza is proving hard to escape from.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.

Gracie shoots in and scores a nice double leg takedown into half guard.
Gracie content to control rather than advance.
Souza is looking for a sweep. Gracie is wise to his cunning plan and keeps the top position.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Gracie not landing any meaningful shots this time.
Souza works his way to full guard. Good work.
Souza not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
Souza tries to land a sweep but no joy.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Gracie trying to control the position from guard on top but Souza is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Souza tries to clinch up.
Gracie swats away the attempt to clinch by Souza.

Gracie has Souza up against the cage in a clinch.
Souza trying to stall but Gracie improves his position.
Souza is trying to slow the pace down but that's a couple of times in a row that he's tried to get underhooks and Gracie has denied him.
Souza looks gassed!

Gracie's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.

Gracie closes the distance and looks for a trip takedown... aaaand he's got it - Gracie lands in his opponent's guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Souza working a defensive guard here.
Gracie trying to control but Souza is working from the bottom.
Souza is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Souza is persisting with the attempt to improve his position.
Gracie in full guard, throwing the ground and pound. No damage this time.

Gracie drops back looking for a leg! Souza is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Souza manages to kick Gracie off! Gracie jumps back into Souza's guard.
Gracie trying to control but Souza is working from the bottom.
Souza is trying to control the position from the bottom.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Nice takedown defense from Souza. No joy for Gracie on that attempt.
Gracie fails with a takedown attempt.
Souza looks to clinch

and Gracie counters by moving into the clinch. Good anticipation by Gracie.
Souza is looking to control Gracie's arms but Gracie gets an underhook and turns him. Now Souza has his back to the cage.

Gracie pulls guard successfully.
Souza trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
Souza trying to control the position from guard on top but Gracie is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.

Gracie had isolated an arm as going for an omaplata. Souza is defending the submission well but is in a very vulnerable position. Gracie Is leaning forward trying to finish the omaplata but decides to abandon it, and take Souza's back instead.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Gracie not allowing Souza to control his hands.

Souza defends a rear naked choke attempt by controlling one of Gracie's arms.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Royce Gracie dominated that round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action.

Souza clinches but Gracie breaks the clinch

and Gracie counters with a shoot takedown. Souza fights it but they end up in guard.

Gracie thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Souza is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Souza keeping moving, preventing Gracie from controlling successfully.
Souza trying to control the position.

Gracie thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Souza trying to control the position.
Souza might have to switch it up a bit here because his efforts to control Gracie kaven't been going to plan, at least at the current moment in time.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Souza closes the distance looking to clinch

and Gracie counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Souza trying to control the position.
Souza looking for a sweep. Not yet Souza, not yet.
Gracie's corner is telling him to maintain position.

Gracie drops back looking for a leg! Souza is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Souza manages to kick Gracie off! Gracie jumps back into Souza's guard.
Souza is working from a closed guard but he's struggling to control his opponent.
Gracie preventing the sweep.
Gracie passes into half guard.
Souza is looking to improve his position.
Gracie looking to pass the half guard. Not this time.
Souza is trying to maintain the position but Gracie is very close to passing his half guard.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.
Souza tries to get to full guard but Gracie has control of the leg.

It looks like we're going to have a standup here. Neither fighter is doing enough on the ground.
Souza has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
Souza tries to clinch but Gracie moves away

and Gracie counters with a takedown into side control.
Souza is positioning himself to get back to half guard.
Gracie happy to just control the position for now.
Souza is trying to get back to half guard. He's pushing on Gracie's leg. He's managed it. Nice work.

Gracie seems like he's working for an arm triangle here. He's freed his trapped foot and he's rotating nicely. Souza is in big trouble! He's tapping out! This one is aaaaaaaaaaaall over!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:03 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Arm Triangle). Royce Gracie!